The United Nations has stated that it is “very worried” about the situation at the plant and that “all measures” must be taken to prevent harm.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has asked the international nuclear watchdog to compel Russia to demilitarise the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power station and return control of the facility to Ukraine.
Last week, officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) traveled visited the facility and warned of the “urgent need” for interim measures to avert a nuclear disaster.
It demanded the creation of a nuclear safety and security protective zone around the facility after expressing concern about physical damage caused by bombardment.
In his nightly address to the country on Tuesday, President Zelenskyy stated that since Russia had “placed the world on the brink of a radioactive disaster”, it was “up to the world” to implement “necessary steps” to ensure that Russia “will be forced to halt terrorism.
He said, “I believe the world not only deserves but also requires IAEA representatives to compel Russia to demilitarise the land of the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhya nuclear power station) and return full control to Ukraine.”
The IAEA crew reported seeing firsthand damage to the plant’s roadway surface, walls, and windows, as well as the flyover connecting the reactor units.
The shelling might have resulted in “severe safety implications, loss of life, and personnel injuries,” according to the findings report.
It cautioned that the scenario posed a “continuous threat to nuclear safety and security” due to the potential influence on essential safety operations.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, stated categorically that he was “very concerned” about the situation and that it may lead to a “catastrophe.”
“Any damage, whether intentional or unintentional, to Europe’s largest nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhia or any other nuclear facility in Ukraine would be catastrophic, not only for the immediate area but for the entire region.
“Every effort must be made to avert such a situation.”
Currently, radiation levels in the area are normal.
The plant has been controlled by Russia for months, and the facility has been suspected of housing military equipment.
Both Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for the shelling that has destroyed the facility over the past few weeks.
Earlier, President Zelenskyy spoke with the new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
In her first conversation with a foreign head of state, she accepted an invitation to visit Ukraine and reaffirmed her support for the country in its conflict with Russia.
The United Kingdom has been one of the most vociferous international supporters of Ukraine, contributing nearly 7,000 anti-tank weapons, hundreds of missiles, and armored battle vehicles. Additionally, it trains the Ukrainian military.
According to an official readout of the call, Ms. Truss stated that she “looked forward to working with the President in the coming weeks and months” and the President thanked the United Kingdom for its “major defense and economic assistance” while reiterating that “the United Kingdom must be prepared to further strengthen it.”
“Europe is not the place for killers,”
In his remarks, the Ukrainian president also urged Europe to cease giving visas to Russian citizens.
About the 2018 Novichok poisonings of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, he recalled that the poisonings were carried out by the Russian government “More than once, Russia has dispatched murderers to Europe posing as tourists.
“They have had enough of the Salisbury steeple, German neighborhoods, and Czech military storage facilities. Enough! Europe is not a place where killers are free to roam.”
